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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To ask for your top tips to make packing up/moving house survivable...

24 replies

Grumpetvoluntary · 24/10/2020 18:16

Post here for traffic.

Please throw my way any packing tips, ways of making moving day bearable etc etc

For context we are moving in 2 weeks to a different county (from tier 3 to tier 2) with a 2 year old and 2 dogs. Honestly don't know how to do this without our parents being able to help out as they are also in tier 3 areas. We only have the removal company to help us.

I've started packing up the kitchen today and it already feels like an insurmountable task...

OP posts:
SweepTheHalls · 24/10/2020 18:17

Pay for a packing service. I would not move without this again!

Jeremyironseverything · 24/10/2020 18:18

Pay for a packing service. It's so stress free. The night before was just like a normal day. Worth the extra money several times over.

Goodebe · 24/10/2020 18:19

Put the kettle, tea bags, milk and any toddler essentials (food nappies) in a box that you don’t let out of your sight! Straight to the kitchen with that a a cuppa while You get round to the rest.
Good luck!

DontTouchTheMoustache · 24/10/2020 18:19

Oh a really helpful one I learnt is to keep all your clothes on hangers then in chunks of about 10 items tie the hooks together with packing tape and take a black bin bag put it over the top and stab the hooks through the bottom of the bag. You can either tie up the bags or tape them up then you can just chuck them in the van. When you get to the other side hang them straight up and just cut the bags and tape off. Saves soooo much time.

LakieLady · 24/10/2020 18:20

Yep, packing service and a good removal firm, every time.

KenDodd · 24/10/2020 18:20

Absolutely, pay for packing. Best money ever spent. Leave it all to them.

Sunshine1235 · 24/10/2020 18:20

Pay for a packing service, go for a nice day out and return to a packed house. Worth every penny

Otherwise I thjnk you just have to dive in and get organised, make a plan and go for it (Sorry you can probably tell I’ve never done it)

MonkeyPuddle · 24/10/2020 18:20

Stuff that you need for the 24 hours after the move in a separate suitcase. So change of clothes, pants, nappies, mug and some tea bags, colouring book and pens, cash for a takeaway.

DontTouchTheMoustache · 24/10/2020 18:21

I also made myself a schedule.to do a bit each day starting with stuff I never use and finishing with stuff I use daily. Chucking it up makes it far less ovrrwhelming

SimonJT · 24/10/2020 18:21

Pay for a packing service, genuinely stress free, its also amazing how quick they are.

Order a takeaway for that night so you don’t have to cook anything.

Chocolateandamaretto · 24/10/2020 18:23

Another vote for a paid packing service. Wouldn’t move without one again!

RemyHadley · 24/10/2020 18:23

I’d normally say use a packing service, but these days I wouldn’t want somebody touching everything I own with their potential germs, especially in a tier 3 area.

We’ve moved a lot, and my top tip is to pack a couple of suitcases as though you’re going for a long weekend in a self-catering place, so everything you absolutely need is easily identifiable and accessible. We take the suitcases in the car rather than trusting them to the movers.

Always unpack the kids beds and bedding first!

Then unpack your bed and bedding.

Everything else can wait till the next day :)

Southwest12 · 24/10/2020 18:50

Another vote for paying for the packing service. It was amazing. At 9am it looked like i wasn't ever moving, by 4pm everything was in boxes, and nothing got broken in the move.

AnxMummy10 · 24/10/2020 18:57

I prefer to pack for myself and would use this to get rid off stuff.

  1. I color code. So each room in the new place has a color on the door /room. Then as you pack a box for that room, stick that color on the box. So the boxes go into the right rooms in the first place.
  2. I write a brief list of what's inside and stick it on the box so its unpacked in order of priority and I can think where things need to go.

I have had a packing service and tbh it was overwhelming. They unpacked everything as well, and stuff were just lying around which completely stressed me out.

If you have the time, do it yourself.

lotusbell · 24/10/2020 18:58

Piggy backing somewhat but I've moved several times times and never used either a removal company or a packing service. I've just been served my notice to move out and so we have 6 months (due to Covid) to find another rental. I am not relishing the prospect! Can anyone advise on how much a packing service costs, roughly? And also, what's a decent price for a removal firm? I'm clueless!

Searchesforhipbones · 24/10/2020 19:01

Go through your house first and get rid of everything you don’t want.

If you’ve new wardrobes or anything to get, get a couple of Ikea clothes rails to tide you over, about £9 each.

PollyPelargonium52 · 24/10/2020 19:03

For each room in the new house have a box labelled 'Essential kitchen' 'Essential lounge' etc. That way as long as u unpack the first one or two essential boxes for each room u can take longer unpacking the rest. Also buy plenty of bubble wrap

Grumpetvoluntary · 24/10/2020 19:08

Ahh a packing service sounds great but unfortunately we just don't have the extra funds available for that.

Also RemyHadley made a very good point about people touching all our things being a bit risky.

How have people organised their boxes? Have you had a super organised way of logging of what's in each and which room each one is for and how many there are etc?

OP posts:
Grumpetvoluntary · 24/10/2020 19:12

@lotusbell

Piggy backing somewhat but I've moved several times times and never used either a removal company or a packing service. I've just been served my notice to move out and so we have 6 months (due to Covid) to find another rental. I am not relishing the prospect! Can anyone advise on how much a packing service costs, roughly? And also, what's a decent price for a removal firm? I'm clueless!
We are paying £550 plus VAT for the removal service from our 2 bedroom bungalow to a 4 bed house about a 50 minute drive away. That includes all the boxes we need.
OP posts:
Megala · 24/10/2020 19:17

I usually just write the room on the box, and a brief description of what’s inside. Then as soon as I get the keys to the new place I blu tack a piece of paper with the name of the room on the door (especially useful for bedrooms!). Oh and blu tac/masking tape paper with room name on furniture too.
I tried colour coding but got confused and kept forgetting colours 😳

Other than that, as others have said - pack a bag each of clothes/toiletries/essentials and keep them in your car until everything else is in the new house. And a crate with kitchen essentials! Kids beds first, then everything else.

HooverWhenTheCoastIsClear · 24/10/2020 19:28

If I know where I'm moving to I plan like a crazy person.
Husband thinks it's very strange but he's chaotic.

So if you know your kitchen space, I draw a picture of it, and have arrows pointing to each cupboard with where everything will go in. I googled "How to organise kitchen" or similar and it listed where to put stuff. You can use post it notes on doors to help.

Yes agree to pack by room.
So master bedroom, kid A, kid B etc.

I also plan where furniture will go. I have Ikea cube units and so pack kuds toys into the cubes and they'll.go straight into the unit once built. That way the rooms are really easy to manage.

Agree about clothes. Just tape coat hangers and put straight into wardrobes.

I give myself longer than I think I'll need to sort and clean.
Have done moves ourselves and you don't want to be panic moving and thinking about exit cleans and how long you have to do it. I've given myself 10 days, that might be too much for some but it means I can make sure over is clean and house scrubbed etc.

Agree to sorting as you go, one day I chose to do kids stationery and craft. Went around the house and gathered it all up, organised it all and boxed it. Never seen so many pens and paint etc. It can be useful to gather stuff up into a big pile and think about if you need It all and slim down items.

I used it as a time to organise paperwork, put things on Gumtree to declutter. Wardrobe refresh.

My husband is the camp of just hurl things into boxes and take it all with you. To me it's madness.

Do a list of all mail that will need address changing. Drs,schools, work, council, subscriptions, cars, banks etc etc.

Do a meter reading as you hand over keys. Take photos of rentals to prove clean. Make sure you don't disconnect electric before rental have agreed on your deposit back in case you need to do more cleaning.

I pack kitchen last. As I'm always eating

OrigamiOwl · 24/10/2020 20:18

I've bought labels of Amazon to stick on the boxes... They are colour coded and printed with the name of the room on it as well.

Sparklesocks · 24/10/2020 20:26

Try and clear things out before or as you pack, be ruthless and don’t take anything you do use or like anymore. Bang it on fb marketplace for free or do a charity shop run.

Packing books in a wheely suitcase makes them easier to move around than in a bit heavy box.

Bags for life are good for chucking odds and sods in, easy to squeeze in amongst the boxes too..

Make sure you know where the kettle/mugs are when you first unpack!

Get a takeaway the first night after you move in. You won’t be arsed about cooking, food shopping or finding various pots and pans so treat yourself!

Ravenous001R · 24/10/2020 20:27

Declutter first
Box for charity
Box for rubbish
Box for give recycle
Boxes for each room labeled
Box for essential stuff to use on the day of the move like kettle, mobile phone chargers, toilet roll, torch, bedding etc

Set up post redirection via post office

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